Supply and Demand: Who to sue?

The reason why Washington State, along with other governments across the country, is suing Big Pharma, the primary maker of opioids, is to hold them accountable for an addiction crisis that has claimed thousands of lives. The producers are only one part of the equation, and this action shows a real lack of focus. While it’s true that Big Pharma creates the supply and consumers create the demand, the real culprits are the doctors and other medical personnel who over-prescribe these drugs in the first place. The doctors represent the second and most critical part of the equation. And I am sure data exists that could even identify medical practitioners who write an unusually high number of opioids prescriptions. When are the states going to hold them accountable for the addiction crisis, and sue those more responsible for the 52,000 Americans who were prescribed opioids and died in 2015?

This story was originally published October 10, 2017 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Supply and Demand: Who to sue?."